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October 11, 2022
ITEM TITLE
Boards and Commissions: Report Regarding Proposed Changes to the Structure and Scope of Various City Boards and Commissions
Location: No specific geographic location
Department: Administration
Environmental Notice : The activity is not a “Project” as defined under Section 15378 of the California Environmental Quality Act State Guidelines; therefore, pursuant to State Guidelines Section 15060(c)(3) no environmental review is required. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the activity qualifies for an Exemption pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the California Environmental Quality Act State Guidelines.
Recommended Action
Provide input on proposed framework for changes to various boards and commissions. Based on City Council input, City staff will bring back the corresponding Municipal Code updates to implement changes.
SUMMARY
In response to a City Council referral made on August 8, 2022, City staff has conducted a review of the various boards and commissions to determine any overlap in roles and responsibilities and propose changes, including possible consolidation, to improve efficiency and effectiveness.
This item is to present the Council with staff’s findings and receive feedback on proposed changes. Based on City Council input and to implement the various boards and commissions changes, City staff will return with the appropriate Municipal Code updates.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The Director of Development Services has reviewed the proposed activity for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and has determined that the activity is not a “Project” as defined under Section 15378 of the State CEQA Guidelines because it will not result in a physical change in the environment; therefore, pursuant to Section 15060(c)(3) of the State CEQA Guidelines, the activity is not subject to CEQA.
Thus, no environmental review is required.
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BOARD/COMMISSION/COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
Not applicable.
DISCUSSION
The City of Chula Vista currently has 24 boards and commissions made up of community members who volunteer their time and expertise to consult and advise the Mayor , City Council and City Manager . This number does not include the formation of a Police Advisory Commission per City Council referral, or the Privacy Advisory Board currently being considered at a staff level.
There are currently 196 seats spanning over the various boards and commission s. Several members serve on two boards or commissions when required by the Municipal Code. There also are currently 66 vacancies throughout several boards and commissions.
An analysis was conducted to determine how the City compared to other jurisdiction s with similar populations which can be seen in the chart below:
Agency Population No. of Board &
Commissions
Chula Vista 277,220 24
Irvine 309,031 21
Stockton 322,120 19
Riverside 317,261 19
Anaheim 345,940 15
Fremont 227,514 15
San Bernardino 222,203 14
Moreno Valley 211,600 11
Bakersfield 407,615 10
Oxnard 201,879 10
Santa Ana 309,441 10
Fontana 210,761 2
The City of Chula Vista leads among these jurisdictions with 24 boards and commissions with the City of Fontana ranking last with two board and commissions. The average number of boards and commissions from among jurisdictions in this chart is about 14.
Over the years, there has been a steady decline in applicants to serve on boards and commissions and interest focus areas also have shifted. To respond to the changing landscape, including the expansion of city services, staff is proposing several changes that will create efficiencies and enhance volunteer experience while continuing to receive critical, valuable input from residents and other stakeholders.
Each Board or Commission also has a designated department that provides the necessary staff support, such as a Staff Liaison and /or Secretary, to assist in the fulfillment of the board or commission’s functions and duties including clerical and administrative support.
Staff conducted a review of the municipal code sections for boards and commissions wi th these points in mind and in consultation with staff liaisons, developed the following recommendations for City Council’s consideration:
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Summary of Proposed Changes
Board/Commission
Designated
Department
Municipal
Code
Section
Proposed
Change Explanation
Commission on Aging
(COA)
Community Services
(Recreation)
2.37 Merge into
Healthy
Chula Vista
Advisory
Commission
(HCVAC)
COA & HCVAC jointly work on the
implementation of the Age
Friendly Action Plan led by the
Housing Division of the
Development Services
Department. Their duties also
overlap in advising and making
recommendations on health-
related policies under the Healthy
Chula Vista Initiative. Through
this merger greater opportunities
to provide intergenerational
perspectives and a broader focus
on wellness will be achieved.
Growth Management
Oversight
Commission (GMOC)
Development
Services
2.40 Sunset Growth Management Program
has been successful, and many
elements have been
institutionalized in a variety of
programs and documents.
Housing laws now preclude use
of moratoriums and City is nearly
built out and the balance of
undeveloped property has been
master-planned. City also
currently implements
development obligations through
financing mechanisms (such as
DIFs and CFDs), regulatory
programs and policies, threshold
standards, master plans and
environmental review.
Healthy Chula Vista
Advisory
Commission
(HCVAC)
Development
Services (Housing)
2.47 Rename
"Commission
on Livability
and
Wellness"
Since the establishments of the
HCVAC, the City joined the World
Health Organization (WHO) and
American Association of Retired
Persons’ (AARP) Age-Friendly
Communities Network. In
consideration of the expanded
role of the HCVAC, including the
possibility of gaining the
functions of the COA, staff
recommends renaming this
Commission as the Commission
on Livability and Wellness.
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Summary of Proposed Changes
Board/Commission
Designated
Department
Municipal
Code
Section
Proposed
Change Explanation
Historic
Preservation
Commission (HPC)
Development
Services
2.49 Merge into
Planning
Commission
Due to a lack of agenda items and
volunteer applications, the duties
of the HPC can be absorbed by the
Planning Commission. The
designated department would
remain unchanged.
Housing Advisory
Commission (HAC)
Development
Services (Housing)
2.35 Rename to
"Housing &
Homelessness
Advisory
Commission"
City staff is interested in
expanding the role and duties of
the HAC to incorporate
homelessness and mobilehome-
related duties.
International
Friendship
Commission (IFC)
Community
Services (Library)
2.38 Merge into
Cultural Arts
Commission
The duties and functions of the
IFC and Cultural Arts Commission
(CAC) intersect and overlap in
furthering economic cooperation,
cultural interchange, encouraging
development of cultural
programs that attract visitors,
and promoting economic
development. Merging the duties
of the IFC with those of the CAC
will expand the potential of sister
city cultural exchanges. The
designated department would
remain unchanged.
Mobilehome Rent
Review (MHRRC)
Development
Services (Housing)
2.31 Merge into
"Housing &
Homelessness
Advisory
Commission"
Due to a lack of hearing items, the
duties of the MHRRC can be
restructured. By merging into the
"Housing & Homelessness
Advisory Commission" the
designated department would
remain unchanged.
Safety Commission Engineering 2.44 Rename
"Traffic
Advisory
Commission"
The name change would better
reflect the actual work of the
Safety Commission and provide
clarity to those seeking to serve
on the commission.
Youth Action Council Community
Services (Library)
Council
policy 110-
15 Disband and
add a "youth
member" on
various boards
and
commissions
This change would create an
enhanced experience by
providing practical, real-world
experience to Chula Vista youth
seeking to learn and provide
valuable input in various city
processes and policies.
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Commission on Aging
Currently led by the Recreation Division of the Community Services Department, the Commission on Aging (COA) makes recommendations and advises the City Council and City Manager on all matters affecting older residents of the City. The Commission takes steps to develop mutual understanding and respect between seniors and the balance of the community , promotes new and improved programs for seniors , reviews existing programs and recommends modifications , and provides a forum where senior c itizens may voice their concerns and suggestions.
The COA is currently focused on encouraging the expansion of senior programming to all recreation centers and encouraging more seniors to attend COA meetings by promoting senior programming at the Otay Ranch Town Center Farmers Market. The COA is planning senior forums to achieve a better understanding of the needs of the seniors in the community.
The Commission is composed of seven members and there are currently two vacant seats.
Since the establishment of the COA, the City has undertaken and expanded its services to address the issues facing senior residents. In 2016 , the City joined the World Health Organization (WHO) and American Association of Retired Persons’ (AARP) Age-Friendly Communities Network.
Since then, the Age-Friendly Chula Vista team, collected data and learned from the community about ways to increase the livability for residents across the age spectrum which culminated in the City’s first Age-Friendly Action Plan.
This Age -Friendly Community designation is associated with the Healthy Chula Vista Initiative, whose primary goal is to promote health. The initiative focuses on improving the City’s physical and social environments, promoting awareness and access to services, and building community partnerships.
The Healthy Chula Vista Initiative, as well as the Age Friendly Action Plan, are led by the Housing Division of the Development Services Department. The Healthy Chula Vista Advisory Commission (HCVAC) and the COA jointly work on the implementation of the Age Friendly Action Plan which is why staff recommends merging the duties of the COA with the HCVAC.
Through this merger, greater opportunities to provide intergenerational perspectives and a broader focus on wellness will be achieved and the Commission would be led by the Housing Division with opportunities for collaboration with the Recreation Division.
As part of the transition, staff will jointly work with merging members to determine their priorities and establish a work plan that reflects their new and expanded role.
Growth Management and Oversight Commission
Led by the Development Services Department, the purpose of the Growth Management and Oversight Commission (GMOC) is to provide an independent annu al review of the effectiveness of the General Plan regarding development issues. The GMOC annually assesses the City’s quality of life by measuring the effects of growth against established performance threshold standards set forth in the Growth Management Program. Based on this analysis, it makes recommendations to City Council as necessary. The goal of this review is to ensure that new infrastructure and public services are provided concurrently with new development and the City’s fiscal well -being is m aintained by ensuring that new development pays its proportional share of infrastructure and service costs.
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The GMOC is composed of nine members including Council District representatives and members representing local educational interests, development interests, environmental interests, business interests and a member of the Planning Commission. There are currently four vacancies on the GMOC.
Since its inception in 1987, t he Growth Management Program has been successful. Over the succeeding 35 years, many elements have been institutionalized in a variety of programs and documents. The City currently implements development obligations through financing mechanisms (such as Development Impact Fees and Community Facilities Districts), regulatory programs and policies, threshold standards, master plans and environmental review.
Given that housing laws now preclude the use of moratoriums, the City can no longer control growth as set forth in the Growth Management Ordinance. Additionally, the City is nearly built-out and the balance of undeveloped property has been master-planned and entitled. The provision of public facilities and services are addressed in these master plan documents.
For these reasons, staff recommends sunsetting the GMOC.
Healthy Chula Vista Advisory Commission
Established in 2016, the Healthy Chula Vista Advisory Commission (HCVAC) is led by the Housing Division in Development Services and provides advisory recommendation on public health policy, programs and legislation that impact the quality of health for residents throughout the life spectrum. Under the Healthy Chula Vista Initiative , the City adopted its first Healthy Chula Vista Action Plan consisting of 66 strategies developed to improve the City’s physical and social environments, promote awareness, and access to services, and build community partnerships.
Since then, and previously described, the City joined the World Health Organization (WHO) and American Association of Retired Persons’ (AARP) Age-Friendly Communities Network.
The Commission is composed of nine members including Council District representatives and experts in land use, transportation, nutrition, health care, physical activity and/or environment. There are currently four vacancies on the HCVAC.
In consideration of the expanded role of the HCVAC, including the possibility of gaining the functions of the COA, staff recommends renaming this commission the Commission on Livability and Wellness.
Historic Preservation Commission
Currently led by the A dvance Planning Division of the Development Services Department , t he Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) serves as the authority on historic preservation matters and advises the City Council and other City boards and commissions, as needed, on historic preservation matters as is mandated by Chula Vista Municipal Code Title 21, Historic Preservation.
The Commission is comp osed of seven members with professionals representin g disciplines of history, architecture, architectural history, planning, prehistoric archaeology, folklore, cultural anthropology, curation, conservation, landscape architecture or related disciplines and at least one California licensed real estate agent. There are currently six vacancies on the HPC.
In recent years the lack of agenda items submitted that require a public hearing, such as Major Alteration Certificate of Appropriateness Reviews, Historic Designations, and Mills Act Agreement recommendations to P a g e | 7
City Council, has significantly lessened. The last time the HPC met was in April 2018. This has further affected the number of applicants to serve on the HPC. There has not been a new application for the HPC since 2019.
For these reasons, staff recommends creating efficiencies by merging the duties of the HPC into the Planning Commission. Through this merger , the Planning Commission also will have an increased focus on preservation efforts. The designated department would remain unchanged.
Housing Advisory Commission
Led by the Housing Division of the Development Services Department, the Housing Advisory Commission (HAC) advises and makes recommendations to the Housing Authority, City Council, and City Manager on housing issues and opportunities th at would benefit the community. The Commission periodically assesses the housing needs in the City and reviews housing policies, strategies, and proposed affordable housing projects.
The Commission is composed of nine members including up to two ex officio members with expertise ranging from lending, urban planning, real estate development and tenants of the Housing Authority . There are currently five vacancies on the HAC.
In recent years, the City and the Housing Division have increased housing services and to better reflect and encompass the full spectrum of programs under the Housing Division, including mobilehome and unsheltered services, staff recommends renaming this Commission as the Housing and Homelessness Advisory Commission. The City , l ike most other agencies, anticipates increas ed challenges in addressing homelessness and this body will help provide a forum for greater policy discussion.
International Friendship Commission
Led by the Library, in the Community Services Department, the International Friendship Commission (IFC) plans, develops and carries out economic cooperation, cultural interchange and mutual understanding on the basis of mutual friendship between the City and its sister cities.
The Commission is composed of nine members and currently has three vacancies. More recently, the IFC has had issues reaching a quorum at its meetings, which has hindered its ability to meet and discuss its projects and programs.
Similar to the role and function of the IFC, t he Cultural Arts Commission (CAC) is tasked with , among other things, encouraging the development of arts and cultural programs for the youth of Chula Vista and promoting the creation of a cultural environment to attract visitors and economic development.
For these reasons, s taff recommends merging the duties of the IFC with those of the CAC to expand the potential of sister city cultural exchanges. The designated department would remain unchanged.
Mobilehome Rent Review Commission
Led by the Housing Division of the Development Services Department, the Mobilehome Rent Review Commission (MHRRC) provides an independent review of rent increase disputes in mobilehome parks within the City of Chula Vista. The Commission provides advice to the City Council and the City Manager on matters relating to mobilehome parks , adopts rules and regulations to administer hearings and acts as the "due process" unbiased decision-maker regarding mobilehome park rent disputes.
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The Commission is composed of seven members including up to two ex officio members. There are currently three vacancies on the MHRRC.
Given that on average, the MHRRC meets twice a year and has no t had a hearing in several years, staff is recommending the duties of the MHRRC be restructured and combined with the newly renamed "Housing & Homelessness Advisory Commission". The MHRRC will be presented with concepts to restructure and draft updates to the Rent Review Ordinance (CVMC 9.50) early next year, in order to provide stakeholders and the public an opportunity to provide input into potential changes. The designated department would remain unchanged.
Safety Commission
Led by the Engineering & Capital Projects Department, the Safety Commission conceives and develops ideas and suggestions to contribute to the improvement of personal, traffic or property safety within the City. Its duties are limited to matters of vehicular or pedestrian traffic safety within the public rights -of-way and safety hazards that may exist on or about publicly owned land and facilities.
The Commission is composed of seven members and there are currently three vacancies.
To better reflect the actual work of the Commission as stated in the Chula Vista Municipal Code and to provide clarity to those seeking to serve on the Safety Commission , staff recommends renaming the Safety Commission the Traffic Safety Commission.
Youth Action Council
Led by the Library, in the Community Services Department, the Youth Action Council (YAC) is primarily engaged in a variety of community service projects that initiate outreach to their neighbors and peers. The YAC provides opportuniti es for students to connect with their community and become informed stakeholders.
The YAC is composed of 16 members made up of high school students in the 10th, 11th, and 12th grades. There are currently 16 vacancies.
Staff recommends disbanding the YAC in its current form and instead, place one or more youth members on several boards and commissions as deemed appropriate. This change would create an enhanced experience by providing practical, real -world experience to Chula Vista youth seeking to learn and provide valuable input in various city processes and policies. The boards and commissions currently identified to have one or more youth members added are the Board of Library Trustees, newly renamed Commission on Livability and Wellness, Cultural Arts Commission, Human Relations Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission, and Sustainability Commission.
Affected Board and Commission Members
Staff is aware that these proposed changes will cause several members to be affected and left without a seat when, and if, their respective board or commission is sunsetted, consolidated or merged with another.
The chart below is a summary of the eliminated seats if the proposed changes are adopted:
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Summary of Eliminated Seats
Board/Commission No. of Seats Eliminated
or Merged
No. of Current Vacant
Seats
Total No. of Impacted
Seats
Commission on Aging 7 2 5
Growth Management
and Oversight
Commission
8* 4 4
Historic Preservation
Commission
7 6 1
International
Friendship Commission
9 3 6
Mobilehome Rent
Review Commission
7 3 4
Youth Action Council 16 16 -
Total 54 34 20
* Not including a Planning Commission representative as they will continue to serve on Planning Commission.
Based on current vacancies throughout boards and commissions, the 20 impacted seats can be absorbed by other boards and commissions . The City Clerk’s Office will work with City Council and Staff to consider placement of the impacted seats throughout 32 current vacancies on other boa rds and commissions. The chart below displays a summary of current vacancies:
Summary of Current Vacancies
Board/Commission No. of Current
Vacant Seats
Board of Appeals and Advisors 2
Board of Library Trustees 2
Civil Service Commission 2
Commission on Livability and Wellness* 4
Cultural Arts Commission 1
Housing and Homelessness Advisory Commission 5
Measure A Citizens’ Oversight Committee 1
Measure P Citizens’ Oversight Committee 2
Parks and Recreation Commission 2
Safety Commission 3
Sustainability Commission 5
Veterans Advisory Commission 3
Total 32
* Formerly Healthy Chula Vista Advisory Commission
Together with the City Clerk, staff will communicate with affected members to seek their interest in serving on other boards and commissions and will continue to explore other ways to mitigate the impact to affected members.
Lastly, these changes will require municipal code revisions and after receiving City Council input, the City Clerk and City Attorney will return to the City Co uncil with implementing actions for the proposed changes before the end of the calendar year.
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DECISION-MAKER CONFLICT
Staff has reviewed the decision contemplated by this action and has determined that it is not site-specific and consequently, the real property holdings of the City Council members do not create a disqualifying real property-related financial conflict of interest under the Political Reform Act (Cal. Gov't Code § 87100, et seq.).
Staff is not independently aware and has not been informed by any City Council member, of any other fact that may constitute a basis for a decision-maker conflict of interest in this matter.
CURRENT-YEAR FISCAL IMPACT
To be determined once staff receives feedback and develops implementing language.
ONGOING FISCAL IMPACT
N/A
ATTACHMENTS
None
Staff Contact: Adrianna Hernandez, Special Projects Manager, City Manager’s Office